Kittery drawbridge reopens to vehicles

CONCORD, N.H. – A drawbridge connecting New Hampshire and Maine that was closed to road traffic because of a damaged cable is reopening – for now.

The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, which carries U.S. Route 1 bypass traffic over the Piscataqua River between Portsmouth and Kittery, Maine, is scheduled to reopen at about noon Friday.

A power outage on Oct. 28 caused damage to an underwater cable that carried electricity to power bridge lift motors.

After the cable failed, crews raised the center section of the bridge using an emergency generator so larger boats could continue navigating the river.

Three bridges connect Portsmouth and Kittery, and traffic had been rerouted to the other two.

The specialized cable needed to be replaced and the manufacturer said it would take up to 120 days to make it, plus another 30 days for repair.

But the Maine Department of Transportation found some surplus underwater cable, that at about 4 inches thick, worked, said Bill Boynton, spokesman for New Hampshire’s Department of Transportation.

The temporary cable will not provide a permanent fix for the drawbridge, but will give the state time to consider whether to install a new, permanent cable or find another solution, Boynton said.

The interim repair is costing a little more than $400,000 Boynton said.

There will be occasional alternating traffic next week, with divers putting in sand-cement-type bags to help secure the cable, Boynton said.

Stores that line the approach to the bridge said they had lost more than half of their business since the closure.

To help those on the New Hampshire side, the state is building a connector road between Market Street Extension and Route 1 Bypass southbound at a cost of $140,000.